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An autoclave is a pressure chamber used to sterilize equipment and supplies by subjecting them to high pressure saturated steam at 121 °C (249°F) for around 15–20 minutes depending on the size of the load and the contents.〔Microbiology, Jacquelyn Black, Prentice Hall,1993 pg 334〕 It was invented by Charles Chamberland in 1879, although a precursor known as the steam digester was created by Denis Papin in 1679. The name comes from Greek ''auto-'', ultimately meaning self, and Latin ''clavis'' meaning key—a self-locking device. Other types of autoclave are used in the chemical industry to cure coatings, vulcanize rubber and for hydrothermal synthesis, growing crystals under high temperatures and pressures. Synthetic quartz crystals used in the electronic industry are grown in autoclaves. == Uses == Sterilization autoclaves are widely used in microbiology, medicine, podiatry, tattooing, body piercing, veterinary science, mycology, funeral homes, dentistry, and prosthetics fabrication. They vary in size and function depending on the media to be sterilized. Typical loads include laboratory glassware, other equipment and waste, surgical instruments and medical waste. A notable growing application of autoclaves is the pre-disposal treatment and sterilization of waste material, such as pathogenic hospital waste. Machines in this category largely operate under the same principles as conventional autoclaves in that they are able to neutralize potentially infectious agents by utilizing pressurized steam and superheated water. A new generation of waste converters is capable of achieving the same effect without a pressure vessel to sterilize culture media, rubber material, gowns, dressing, gloves, etc. It is particularly useful for materials which cannot withstand the higher temperature of a hot air oven. Autoclaves are also widely used to cure composites and in the vulcanization of rubber. The high heat and pressure that autoclaves allow help to ensure that the best possible physical properties are repeatably attainable. The aerospace industry and sparmakers (for sailboats in particular) have autoclaves well over long, some over wide. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「autoclave」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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